Heritage & Milestones

Our Roots & Founding Vision

Recognizing the genuine need to further the cause of women’s education, Dr. K.N.V. Sastri (1895-1984)—a noted scholar, author, and professor of Indian History and Politics—envisioned an exclusive women’s degree college in the northern part of Bangalore.

The outcome of his vision was the establishment of the Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women. The institution was spearheaded by Dr. M.N. Mahadevan as Founder President, Sri T.S. Rajam as Vice President, and Dr. K.N.V. Sastri serving as the Founder–Director-cum-Coordinator. With a strength of just 12 girls, the college affiliated with Bangalore University and started functioning in 1972 from the borrowed building of the nearby Government Boys’ School.

Overcoming Challenges & Finding a Home

In its initial phase, the college faced severe constraints of space. Classes were accommodated in just three rooms; the Principal’s office, administration, accounts section, staff room, and library were all housed together in a single room. Practical experiments for different subjects were often conducted simultaneously in this cramped space.

Overcoming these initial hurdles, the college acquired its own land in 1978 with the generous support of the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri. Devaraj Urs. The present location of the college sits in a highly academic ambiance, surrounded by prominent educational institutions—the most notable being the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

"Our founder Dr. K. N. V. Sastri often said that the proximity of IISc would be a source of inspiration to our students to pursue their academic careers in the field of Science, thus contributing to the needs of our nation." Incidentally, when the college was first started, it was named “Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College of Science with Arts.” Today, many of our students have gone on to pursue research at IISc, beautifully fulfilling the dreams of our founder.

A Legacy of Academic Leadership

Smt. M.C. Vedavalli became the first Principal and steered the institution firmly towards the consolidation of the founders’ vision. Subsequently, Dr. T.L. Shantha, who held the position of Principal for over three decades, provided a massive fillip to the growth of the institution. During her tenure, the college received several defining accolades, most notably NAAC Accreditation, STAR College status, recognition as a "College with Potential for Excellence," and Autonomous status awarded by the UGC.

In the four decades of its existence, the strength of the college has grown phenomenally. The progressive vision of the management, the commitment of the teaching faculty, the support of the non-teaching staff, and the accomplishments of our alumni have transformed mLAC into one of the premier institutions in Bangalore.

Key Milestones & Institutional Growth